Combination envelope and letter sheet



April 1931. H. E. HARSON 1,801,155

COMBINATION ENVELOPE AND LETTER SHEET Fild June 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet1 INVEN TOR.

April 14, 1931. E HARSQN COMBINATION ENVELOPE AND LETTER SHEET FiledJune 14, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /uzw max, 26

JOHN 005 INVEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 HOWARD E. HARSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOISCOMBINATION ENVELOPE AND LETTER SHEET Application. filed June 14, 1928.Serial No. 285,338.

The present invention relates to a combination envelope and lettersheet, and aims to provide a novel and improved article of thischaracter whereby the possibility of placing Q1 letters in wrongenvelopes when mailing a number of letters is avoided, and the lettermay be readily detached from the envelope for the purpose of separatelyfiling said letter.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a combinationenvelope and letter sheet constructed of a single piece of paper whichwill permit the printing of the return address of the senderon theenvelope and the letterhead of the sender on the letter sheet in asingle operation of a printing press.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combination envelopeand letter sheet which may be sealed for first class mail, 29 and whichmay also be used as third class mail where it is necessary to leave theenvelope unsealed in a condition for postal inspection.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of acombination envelope and letter sheet in which the letter sheet is anextension of one side wall of the envelope, while a closure flap is atthe upper edge of the other side wall with gussets between the ends ofthe side walls connecting the same together, the ends of the materialforming said "ussets extending over the outer side of the side wallcarrying the letter sheet for forming flaps under which the closure flapmaybe arranged when mail is sent third class.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an article of the aboveindicated character, which is simple and substantial in construction,which can be manufactured economically, and which will be thoroughlyefficient and practical in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent thedescrip tion proceeds, the invention resides in the construction andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it beingunderstood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed,without departing 50 from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my im proved combination envelope andletter sheet showing the envelope open with the letter sheet arrangedeXteriorly thereof,

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the envelope arranged in the sameposition with the letter sheet folded and arranged within the envelope,

Figure 3 is a vertical cross section through the envelope and lettersheet, said envelope being in open position with the letter sheet foldedand arranged therein,

Figure 4 is a plan view illustrating the manner in which the envelopeand letter sheet are cut from a single piece of paper, and showing thesame arranged prior to the folding thereof,

Figure 5 is a plan view illustrating the manner in which the envelopeand letter sheet are arranged when printing a return address on theenvelope and a letterhead on the letter sheet.

Figure 6 is a rear view of the envelope illustrating the position of theflap when used in connection with first class mail, and

Figure 7 is a similar view illustrating the position of the closure flapwhen the article is used in connection with third class mail.

In carrying out my invention the combined envelope and letter sheet is nade from a blank of the configuration shown in Fig. at of the drawingsadapted to be folded upon itself as indicated by the dotted lines, saiiblank comprising a rectangular shaped portion 10 forming the front ofthe envelope and defined by the dotted lines, the back 11 ofapproximately the same size and shape as the front, and a letter sheetlet extended from the outer end of the back but not as wide so that itmay be folded into the envelope, with the portion of the blank formingthe front and back extended at each side, as at 20, and

said extensions cut away from the back to provide the rear flaps 18 18and gussets or end closures 18a 1864, the latter being integral with thefront portion and each foldable between the front and back on the dottedlines 21. In addition to the rear flaps 18 18 the blank is shaped toprovide a main flap 12 extended from the outer end of the front portion10 of the envelope, said main flap having a gummed edge 13 and likewisethe rear flaps are provided with gummed edges 23 and 9A- for connectingthem together at the back of the envelope and to the back portion 11when it is desired to completely seal the envelope, it being noted thatfor convenience in severing the letter sheet the blank is providedwithslits 15 leaving the narrow connections 16 at the jnncture of saidletter sheet with the back portion, and as a guide in folding the lettershoot it is provided at its opposite edges with short lines or marks 17.

in making up the envelope from the blank hereinbefore described the mainflap 12 is first folded down temporarily on the front portion 10, theside extensions 2t) are then folded inwardly over said flap on thedotted lines 19 and then outwardly the dotted line 21 of the gusset,after which the back portion 11 with the letter sheet if extendingtherefrom is folded to overlie the folded gussets and main flap so thatthe flaps 18 may be folded towards each other and the overlapping innerends pasted together to complete the envelope in the form shown in Fig.5 in which condition it is furnished to the trade; that is to say theface of the envelope and one side of the letter sheet form the front ofthe device on which the sencers card 25 and letterhead 26 are printedrespectively and on which may be typed both the address on the envelopeand letter on the sheet without removing the combined envelope andletter sheet from the typewriter; while that part of the structure inthe rear ofthefront portion is composed of the main flap folded againstthe inner side of the front portion 10, the inwardly folded ends orgussets, and the pasted'together rear flaps securing the body of theenvelope together. 7 In using the combined envelope and. letter sheetthe name of the addressee is written on the face ofthe envelope and theletter is written on the front part of the letter sheet from top tobottom of'both envelope and letter sheet in regular order. The letteristhen folded on the dotted lines 1? and by opening the envelope as shownin Fig. 1 the folded letter connected to the rear wall 11 may be easilyinserted in the envelope, it being noted that the pleated ends orgussets 18a permit the upper end or mouth of the envelope to be openedwide for the insertion of the folded letter. It is now only necessary tofold the flap upon the back of the on velope and attach the-same forsending the etter through the mails, in one instance (Fig. 7) said flapbelng inserted under the rear flaps 18 in sending the letter bythird-class mail and in the other instance said main flap being pastedover the rear flaps for first-v class mail (Fig. 6). When the envelopeis intended for first-class mail only, flaps 18 are pasted to the backof the envelope by means of the gummed edges 24, and of course it willbe understood that in this instance, for firstclass mail matter, shortrear flaps 18 may be used and pasted directly to the back portion 11,such short flaps being commonly used in the formation of envelopes.

The construction and operation of my improved form of combined envelopeand letter sheet will be readily understood from the foregoingdescription, and it will be apparent that by forming the blank as shownin Fig. 4 of the drawin s the envelope will be provided with'inwardlyfoldable end pieces or gussetspermitting the mouth of the envelope to beopened widely for convenience in placing the attached folded lettersheet into the envelope, and that the form of the combined envelope andletter sheet (Fig. 5)

facilitates he writing of both the address and letter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A combined envelope and letter sheet tegrally with the gussets andextending across the back portion of the envelope to which they areattached, a letter sheet formed integrally with and extending from theouter end of the back portion of the envelope, and a sealing flapextending outwardly from the outer end of the front portion of theenvelope.

2. A blank for a combined envelope and letter sheet formed of a singlesheet of material and shaped to provide a rectangular shaped front witha sealing flap at one end thereof, a similarly shaped back portion atthe other end of said front portion, a letter sheet extending from theouter end of the back portion and of less width than said back portion,and extensions at opposite sides of the front and back portions shapedto provide triangular shaped foldable gussets at the sides of the frontportion and cut away from the back portion to form back flaps for theenvelope at one side of said gussets, said back flaps and sealing flapsbeing provided with gummed edges for sealing the combined envelope andletter sheet when folded upon

